Police issue alert for wanted men

City police remain on the hunt for two men wanted in connection with the death of 54 year old Robert  Francis Topping early Saturday morning.    Police say it's the first murder of 2011.   They say both men are considered dangerous and should not be approached. The two are:  18 year old Cody Allister Thompson and 20 year old Christopher John Hawk.


Cody Thompson



Christopher Hawk



Thunder Bay Entrepreneurs

Thunder Bay auditions for the hit show Dragons Den were a success. Local entrepreneurs brought their ideas to the Prince Arthur Hotel for a shot at appearing on the show. Inventors will be notified within 3 weeks if they will advance to pitch their ideas to the real dragons on television in Toronto.

Missing Girl Pronounced Dead

Sioux Lookout detachment of the OPP were notified of a missing 11 year old girl. She was found yesterday morning and taken to Meno Yi Win Health care centre and was pronounced dead. OPP, Northwest region crime unit, and northwest identification unit are investigating the incident.

Police probe city's first murder of 2011

Thunder Bay police are investigating the city's first murder of the year. They say a 54 year old man died in hospital around 1 o'clock Saturday morning after he walked into a break-in in progress at a home on the 800 block of Minnesota Street. His 45 year old female  friend told police he was assaulted. The victim is identified as Robert Francis Topping. Police have arrested two men and are still looking for two others aged  18 and 20 years old.

Fire in City's South End

5 firetrucks rushed to a fire that broke out in the 500 block of S. Syndicate ave. No one was home at the time but firemen were able to rescue a dog safely. The fire was brought under control quickly although there had been substantial damage to the building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Fort Hope trip called productive

Another first for Mayor Keith Hobbs. He has just returned from a trip to the First Nations community of Fort Hope with City Manager Tim Commisso. Hobbs says they toured the community and both sides came away with a better understanding of each others needs.  Hobbs says they also talked of ways to accommodate people from Fort Hope to come to our city.  The mayor called the trip so productive they plan to visit other communities as well.

100 days at City Hall documented

A Thunder Bay filmmaker ready to release a documentary on the first 100 days of the new city council. Paul Moralee says his film takes us behind of scenes at City Hall. He says it follows not only the mayor and councillors but the workings of administration as well. The film makes it's debut at the Paramount Theatre on Thursday March 31st.

NAN wants CFBA scrapped

The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation continues to fight against the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement.  Stan Beardy is leading the call for its termination and explains why.  Beardy had originally called for the agreement to be terminated by mid-March.  The CBFA is made up of 21 forest companies that want to control forest regulation.

Thunder Bay man dies in Northeastern Ontario

A 32 year old Thunder Bay man has been found dead in James Township near Elk Lake.  A post mortam exam is taking place in Sudbury.  OPP say the name of the deceased is being withheld until his family is identified.

Bearskin delays service to Minneapolis

"The Bear" won't be taking you to Minneapolis anytime soon. Plans to offer service to the twin cities by Bearskin Airlines have been put on hold according to Vice President Cliff Friesen who blames the red tape. He says approval from Homeland Security in the United States and the sale of the company are the problem. Friesen says the company now hopes to have the service running by the fall.

Air Canada scraps Ottawa to Thunder Bay

Air Canada has scrapped it's Ottawa to Thunder Bay direct route due to the rising cost of fuel.  The changes take effect May 1st.

Film festival returns

The annual Northwest Film Fest is back for it's 18th year. This year 17 films are on tap. Organizer Marty Mascarin says he's amazed how popular the festival and how it's become a part of the city's culture.   He says it's become a recruiting component for attracting physicians to the city.  The festival takes place at Silver City on March 27th and April 3rd.

Hyer weighs in on contempt of parliment

Thunder Bay Superior North MP Bruce Hyer says lying in parliament should be strictly punished. The comments come after our newsroom asked for his thoughts on the Commons Committee investigating if the government should be found in contempt of Parliament. Hyer says he has considered putting forward legislation to prevent misleading statements. Hyer would like members caught lying to be suspended the first time and after that removed.  Hyer says he's watched the Harper Government skirt the truth for 2 and a half years.

Libyan situation continues to change

The Situation in Libya continues to move and change almost by the hour. In the latest development the Libyan Foreign Minister has declared a ceasefire. Lakehead University Political Science Professor Laure Paquette says the move could signal a number of possibilities.  The call could be only an attempt to prevent any bombings by Western Powers.  Paquette says it is unclear exactly what kind of ceasefire this is, will government forces defend themselves and will rebels also take part in the ceasefire.  Another possibility is a split in the government since the Foreign Minister made the announcement and not Gadhafi.  Paquette says it could also mean Gadhafi is just buying time to move forces close to civilians making it very harder to bomb without civilian deaths.  

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Former Mill Manager passes away

A former mill manager of the Abitibi Bowater mill here in Thunder Bay has passed away.  Lorne Crawford was also a member of the air ambulance board "ORNGE".  Crawford's funeral will take place Saturday in Dryden.

Small drug bust on south side

Thunder Bay Police have made another drug bust.  Officers searched a house on the south side and found over 6 thousand dollars worth of drugs and over 18 hundred dollars in cash.  A 42 year old man was arrested and is facing charges.

Local inflation rate falls

Thunder Bay saw a big drop in its inflation rate last month.  Our rate went from 3 percent in January to 2.4 last month.  That followed the provincial trend where Ontario went from 2.9 to 2.5.  The national rate went from 2.3 to 2.2 in February.

Library board shows La Force the door

The Thunder Bay Public Library is looking for a new Chief Librarian. It's fired Gina La Force, who has been at the post for four years. Board chair Terrance Yahn says the board made its decision to let her go last week but didn't tell staff until Wednesday. Yahn says it had to do with La Force's management style but he didn't go into detail. Until a new Chief Libarian can be found Barbara Philp will take over in an acting capacity.   La Force has not returned our call.

Wood Supply awarded

Long Lake Forest Products in Longlac and Nakina Forest Products are the lastest companies to accept wood supply offers from the province.  The move will create 38 jobs and will bring several hundred people back to work.

Red Cross raises 17 thousand dollars

Thunder Bay's Red Cross branch has raised 17 thousand dollars for its relief efforts in Japan. Ken Widdifield says fundraising is going well. Halfway Motors is collecting money for the Red Cross and will match money raised up to 5-thousand dollars.

Railyard accident sends man to hospital

One man is injured after an industrial accident on the city's south side.   Police say it happened at the CPR maintenance yard around 2 o'clock on Thursday afternoon.  Police say a man sustained a broken leg.  A spokesperson for Superior North Emergency Medical Services says the injury is not considered serious.    The man  had apparently become trapped somehow resulting in the injury.  

Waterfront art will "engage discussion"

Even though the waterfront project is well over budget, the city is spending 100 thousand dollars for art at Prince Arthur's Landing. It's asking for your input on 3 works of art. The city's public art committee chair Bruce Stonehouse believes it will be money well spent that will "engage discussion."  City councillor Mark Bentz, the head of the waterfront committee, also believes the project is good value for the money

Court cases await jury roll decision

A city defence lawyer says there are 4 court cases in Thunder Bay that could be delayed over the issue of jury rolls. Gil Labine says until the province makes a move to include more Aboriginals in the jury selection process, those people will languish in jail.  Labine says he has at least two clients on the waiting list and there are numerous cases in Kenora as well.

Halfway Motors helps Japan

The Red Cross and Half Way Motors are teaming up to raise money for Japan.  Owner John Trevisanutto says they decided to start fundraising because they feel a kinship with the country.  Donations can be made at Halfway Motors; the company will match funds up to 5-thousand dollars.

Outbreak Over

An outbreak at the Grandview LodgeLong Term Care centre is over.  The building was shut down earlier in the week and caused the health unit to cancel visitation.

LU Professor weighs in on Middle East Situation

The situation in the middle east continues to spiral out of control. Lakehead University Political Science expert Laure Paquette says its hard to get an accurate read on the situation in Libya.  The pro democracy forces are becoming organized but not much is known about their situation, while pro Gadhafi forces are claiming to be making gains.  The problem is, many of the reports are coming from Gadhafi forces.  Paquette says the situation in Bahrain is even more frightening were government forces are apparently killing protesters in an attempt to get them to stop.

Women converge on Thunder Bay

First Nation women from across the region are coming together in Thunder Bay Friday.  Spokesperson Norma Fawcett says they'll be discussing child care issues.  Fawcett says men are encouraged to attend since some single parent families are made up of just the Father and there is a stigma attached to it.  A representative of the Minister of Children and Youth Services will be speaking about children in Dilico's care.

Border Cats add 4

The Border Cats have added 4 more players for the upcoming season, First baseman Kevin Taylor, outfielder Eric Aguilera, Pitcher Donnie White and Shortstop Jake MacWilliam.

Man saves dog from fire

No one was hurt in a fire in Westfort.  Fire Crews were called to a house on Christina St just before noon when a neighbour spotted smoke coming from the house in the 100 block of the street.  The neighbour entered the house to retrieve a dog before crews arrived.

100 days of council

Mayor Keith Hobbs has now completed 100 days on the job.  He calls the experience so far challenging and exciting. He says there have been no real surprises to this point.  Hobbs says though he has heard the message loud and clear from fellow councillors that he is only one voice.

Wilson weighs in on cuts

The Chamber of Commerce isn't surprised the Province decided to eliminate the Northern Development Corporation.  President Harold Wilson says he saw the axe dropping for some time now.  Wilson says the corporation hasn't been active for over ten years.  Wilson adds he isn't surprised the northern grow bond program didn't catch on; since the government refused to run it the way the Chamber suggested.

Health Unit may use Facebook to recruit MOH

The District Health Unit is going beyond newspaper ads in it's search for a new Medical Officer of Health. CEO Doug Heath says who knows, they might even try Facebook.  He says they are still at the intitial stages and Facebook is something they may need to look at as a tool.  Heath says they will also be looking a wide variety of Internet options for the recruitment campaign

NAN weighs in on jury rolls

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation feels the provincial government stonewalled them when it came to their concerns about aboriginal representation on jury rolls.  NAN Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose says the government gave them the run around.  The Attorney General is vowing to work on including more aboriginals on jury rolls after the murder trial of Andre Wareham was postponed until November.

Screening program aims at First Nations

A new cancer screening program from the Cancer Centre is now a reality. It's aim is to reach First Nations adults in the northwest and others who don't have access to such services according to Regional Cancer Care CEO Michael Power. The northwest is getting 100 thousand dollars from Cancer Care Ontario for the new program

Texas teen saved by local police

Thunder Bay Police helped save the life of a Texas teen.  A 14 year old teen was playing XBOX online when he read comments from another player saying he was going to hurt himself.  Spokesperson Chris Adams says an officer was sent to the teens house to talk over the XBOX system.  After 2 hours of negotiation the teen agreed to speak with his parents about his intentions.  The American teen's parents were in disbelief and grateful for the intervention.

Bust results in drug seizure

Drug and trafficking charges are facing a man and a woman after a police raid on their home this week.  Police say the bust took place on the 900 block of Athabasca Street and involved the use of a police dog.  Drugs seized included magic mushrooms, pot and prescription pills.

Power back on in Grandview

Power should be back on for about 200 Thunder Bay hydro customers in the Grandview area. A tree falling on two power lines at around 7 this morning caused the outage. It forced the closure of the 55 Plus Centre and also affected the Grandview Arena

Thunder Bay woman finally hears from parents

After five harrowing days of anxiously waiting a Thunder Bay woman has finally heard from her parents who live in Tsunami stricken Northeastern Japan.  Hiroko Bekki Moller finally spoke to her mother just after 2 o'clock this morning.  It was the first time they had spoken since the earthquake and tsunami ravaged Japan Friday.  Moller says she waiting patiently and tried to keep a positive outlook but the wait was very hard.  Moller thanks everyone that supported her, throughout the ordeal. 

SIU investigating sudden death in Sioux Lookout

A sudden death in Sioux Lookout is beng investigated by the province's Special Investigations Unit.  The OPP says a man was arrested for being drunk in public and went into medical distress yesterday afternoon.  He was taken to the Health Centre where he was pronounced dead.

Outbreak closes facility

An outbreak at the Thunder Bay Interim Long Term Care centre has shut down the building.  The Health Unit says all admissions, transfers, visitations and discharges have been cancelled.

Relief for sick animals

The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says it's been in contact with the owner of some distressed farm animals. Alison Cross says they are working with the Thunder Bay area resident to give the animals the care they require. She says their agents have been on the property and a compliance order has been issued as part of the probe but no charges have been laid.

AG says its working on First Nations jury rolls

The Ministry of the Attorney General says it is currently working with First Nations in the north to get better representation on jury rolls.    It says to date 15 forums have been held with Grand Council Treaty # 3 and the Anishinabek First Nations.  The ministry says the forums have been well received and says efforts in this area are ongoing.    The issue became a hot button topic this week when a judge dismissed a jury pool in a local murder trial after she deemed there wasn't enough Aboriginal representation from the district.

Judge sets new trail date for Wareham

The second degree murder trial of 33 year old Andre Wareham will now take place November 21st  and is expected to last 2 weeks.   The new date was necessary after Justice Helen Pierce dismissed the jury pool on Monday saying it didn't represent the Aboriginal community in the Thunder Bay District.   Meantime his Toronto lawyer Steven Hinkson is planning to apply for bail.   Wareham is charged in the 2009 death of 29 year old William Atkins.

AbibitiBowater gets taxpayer funding

AbitibiBowater has signed an agreement with the Ontario Power Authority that will see them provide clean energy. The company is increasing its electricity generation capacity by 40 megawatts. Company General Manager Doug Murray says 9.6 million dollars comes from the province and it's Forest Prosperity Fund.
The move will create 56 jobs and is expected to be done by 2013.

Northern agencies being scrapped

The Provincial government is doing away with 11 of its agencies as away of saving cash. NDP Critic Howard Hampton says it's strange that the Liberals heralded these programs just a couple of years ago. The Northern Ontario Development Corporation is being scrapped. The Northern Grow bonds committee and program is also getting the axe.

Hampton reacts to Abitibi Bowater announcement

The NDP's Natural Resources Critic is happy to hear the province has helped AbitibiBowater with its biomass project.  However, Howard Hampton says it's good news for the Thunder Bay employees but the announcement probably offends others whose mills are out of business.  Hampton says no new announcements can change the fact that the Liberals have ignored Northern Ontario and the jobs crisis for the last eight years.

Airport sees increase in passengers

Thunder Bay's Airport continues to set new records for annual passenger traffic.  President Scott McFadden says they saw a 2.4 percent increase in passenger volumes.  McFadded attributes the increase in passengers to tour companies offering trips to warm destinations.

Japanese Disaster will impact us

For the second straight day the Japanese stock market saw a big drop and, according to an Economics Professor at Lakehead University, the instability could spread. Livio Di Matteo says the unfortunate devastation could impact insurance companies depending on how exposed they are in Japan, but gas prices could drop with oil demand in Japan dropping.  In the Long term Di Matteo says a Japanese rebuild could lead to an increase in demand for Canadian natural resources and exports.